Barriers to Girls Taking up Careers in STEM

Gender Stereotypes Still Acting as Barriers to Girls Taking up Careers in STEM

New research by Accenture Ireland and I Wish released today reveals that parents and teachers are the key influencers on girls’ subjects and career choices, and more education and support should be directed at them in order to encourage girls to take up careers in STEM. The studies, which included feedback from approximately 3,000 Irish students, parents and teachers, are aimed at attracting more girls and young women into studying, and ultimately pursuing careers in, STEM disciplines.

The Accenture research which covered a cross section of girls, boys, teachers and parents builds upon research carried out in 2013 and 2015:

Parental pressure

Almost two thirds of girls (65%) say their parents are most likely to influence subject choices at school, and half said their parents influence their career aspirations.

Despite their high level of influence, only one in four (24%) parents feel ‘very informed’ about the variety of STEM career opportunities and a significant 54% stated that they have no experience of modern STEM careers to pass on to their children.

More than half of parents (52%) admit to having personally made subconscious stereotypes about girls and boys when it comes to STEM subjects and more than half of teachers (53%) have witnessed girls drop STEM subjects in school due to pressure from parents.

Girls VS. Boys

Alarmingly, one third of parents and teachers (29%) still perceive STEM disciplines as more closely fitting boys’ brains, personalities and hobbies.

One in four girls feel there are no financial rewards for a career in STEM.

Almost a quarter of teachers feel that the gender divergence in perceptions of STEM begins between the ages of 7 and 11, with one in ten teachers believing that the gender gap begins to appear before primary school.

The Power of Teachers and access to STEM activities

The I Wish research, which focused on 2,400 Irish girls aged 14 to 17 pointed to the important role that teachers play:

When it comes to choosing what to study, 94% of female students are hugely influenced by how subjects are taught. However, one third of teachers surveyed said they did not know enough about STEM and STEM courses and careers.

Amongst girls’ schools who attended 3 or more STEM events, 30% chose to do at least two STEM subjects to Leaving Cert compared to 20% who attended two or less.

82% of the girls surveyed indicated that they want a career where they can help other people, yet they cannot clearly see how STEM can facilitate that.

The majority of teachers 94% recognise the opportunities for STEM careers and 74% want more support though training and access to STEM role models and industry.

Speaking about the research, Richard Bruton T.D., Minister for Education and Skillssaid: “I would like to acknowledge the work undertaken by Accenture and I Wish in publishing a series of reports which provide much-needed insight into the under-representation of girls and women in STEM education and STEM careers. I want Ireland to be a leader in the provision of STEM education. Last year I published a STEM report and prioritised 21 actions for implementation, including actions to increase the take up of STEM subjects by girls. I will shortly publish a STEM Education Policy Statement which will set out the actions we need to take to become a world leader in the provision of STEM education.”

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Officially launching the report, Minister of State at the Department for Justice & Equality, David Stanton T.D. said, “I commend the research reports by I Wish and Accenture which contain significant findings on the promotion of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) to young girls and women in Ireland. The insights coming through, from the
large sample of female students and their teachers and parents, are very valuable for all the stakeholders involved, and will help to shape future developments at government level in this area. At the Department of Justice and Equality, through our National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017- 2020: creating a better society for all, we are committed to ensuring that girls and women have every opportunity in the STEM sector”​

Paula Neary, Client Director at Accenture Ireland, said “A new trend that has emerged is the need to change the ways that we talk about STEM careers. The report indicates that descriptive job titles such as ‘Sports Equipment Inventor” are more appealing to young girls than traditional jobs titles such as ‘engineer’.

In order for Ireland to continue to compete on a global stage, we need to equip young people with STEM skills, and fast. The scale of digital disruption taking place across every industry means that the workforce of the future need to have a strong set of core skills which are developed through a STEM education. We need to inform and encourage girls in particular so that they see the possibilities of a career in STEM. Industry, government and education bodies need to come together equip women with new skills as contributors to the economy and to society, and ensure no girl is left behind as the world transforms.”

I Wish Co-Founder Ruth Buckley said “Our research points to the significant role that teachers can play as a gateway to STEM careers. Where girls attend 3 STEM activities, they are more likely to choose STEM subjects. 82% of girls say they want a career where they can help other people, yet do not see how STEM facilitates that. Giving teachers and girls knowledge, information and access is key. We cannot leave girls inclusion to chance, we need to have a consistent and systematic focus on STEM through our education system as well as supporting teachers, so that they can communicate and inform young girls on the value and opportunities of STEM subjects, courses and careers. An incredible 40% of the girls who attended I Wish have made changes to their subject or career choices. Collectively we can make a difference, but the time has come to do so in a sustained, systematic and focused way by mandating the inclusion of STEM activities into the curriculum. Let’s not leave the future of girls in STEM to chance”

Recommendations

In addition to investigating why girls are less likely to study STEM and pursue careers in STEM fields, the Accenture report also makes several recommendations. These include;

Early intervention to alleviate negative perceptions of STEM at a young age.

Help parents educate themselves further about STEM subjects so that they have a positive influence on their children.

Introduce training and supports for teachers that provide comprehensive information on STEM careers and course options.

Mandate the inclusion of informal/extra curricular STEM events into the curriculum

Alter the way we speak about careers to enable children to envisage what a career in STEM might look like.

About the Research

The research encompasses the findings of two reports from Accenture and I WISH.

Powering Economic Growth: Attracting More Young Women into Science and Technology 3.0 sheds further light on the barriers to encouraging girls to study STEM subjects and to sustaining that path through secondary education and into third-level and beyond. It builds upon the research carried out for the 2013 and 2015 reports. In the Republic of Ireland, the sample size was approximately 600 people, including students, teachers and parents. This research was undertaken in January 2017.

The I Wish survey, Choices, Chances, Changes 2017, is one of the largest surveys ever of Irish secondary school girls around Ireland on their attitudes to STEM; what influences them and what is important to them as they consider their leaving certificate subject choices and future career paths. 2,397 girls across 15 cities and counties responded to the 2017 I Wish survey, which also survey teachers within the schools and students surveyed.